Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein’s hands-on scrutiny of the proposed $657 million settlement of Ground Zero respiratory illness claims is nothing new for the man charged with overseeing virtually all litigation stemming from the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Attorneys who appear before him say Judge Hellerstein is a results-oriented jurist who has little patience for sidetracking or squabbling by the parties that distract from resolution of the case before him. They also say the judge goes out of his way to let litigants know he understands their concerns even as he rules against them.
